Definition of CIRCUMLOCUTION

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In The King's English, grammarian H.W. Fowler advised, "Prefer the single word to the circumlocution." Alas, that good advice was not followed by the framers of "circumlocution." They actually used two terms in forming that word for unnecessarily verbose prose or speech. But their choices were apt; circumlocution derives from the Latin circum-, meaning "around," and locutio, meaning "speech - so it literally means "roundabout speech." Since the 15th century, English writers have used "circumlocution" with disdain, naming a thing to stop, or better yet, to avoid altogether. Charles Dickens even used it to satirize political runarounds when he created the fictional Circumlocution Office, a government department that delayed the dissemination of information and just about everything else.

Examples of circumlocution in a Sentence

He was criticized for his use of circumlocution. I'm trying to avoid circumlocutions in my writing.

Recent Examples on the Web But the national crisis in policing and the response to it isn’t a matter of arid elite debate or familiar political circumlocution and compromise anymore. — David Roth, The New Republic, "Twilight of the Cop Consensus," 11 June 2020 These circumlocutions are meant to emphasize the fact that Africans traded like chattel were not, in their essence, slaves but human beings. — Lionel Shriver, Harper's magazine, "Lefty Lingo," 25 Nov. 2019 Although incredibly popular, with 60% approval ratings, Ahok was considered by many to be a divisive figure, by virtue both of his minority status and of his bluntness, which ran counter to Javanese traditions of deference and circumlocution. — The Economist, "How religion shapes elections in Indonesia," 12 Apr. 2018 Mungiu, like many Romanian directors, has a sadistic streak for circumlocution. — Jordan Hoffman, VanityFair.com, "A Good Father Breaks Bad in Captivating Corruption Drama Graduation," 6 Apr. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'circumlocution.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.